Page 25 of Forget Me Not
“We did a lot more than date, Mackenzie.”
“Yeah—we slept together, Austin. Big deal. I’m an adult and had sex with you. A decision I’m coming to regret. You lied to me and I don’t like liars. As far as I am concerned, we have nothing left to discuss.”
As I tried to get into the car, Austin reached out and grabbed my arm. “Please. I don’t want to leave it this way.”
“Are you going to tell me where you were and why you lied?”
“Will you meet me for coffee if I do?”
I looked at Danny watching us through the window. I hated he was seeing this, it was exactly why I didn’t date. After agreeing to meet Austin in an hour, I headed toward Catherine and David’s house. I didn’t want Danny there when Austin fed me even more bullshit—there was no way he could dig himself out of the lie he had told. And even if he was truthful, I wasn’t sure I’d believe him.
I pulled into the driveway and cut the engine just as my phone vibrated with a text.
Drake: I miss you. Can we Face-time later?
Drake had traveled to Vegas for a case he was working on. He and his friend Alex owned a private investigation company. He hated leaving when things had just heated up between us, but I understood. A part of me wondered if he was just another Austin, but when he Face-timed me from outside the Bellagio, I knew he wasn’t. Plus, he called to show Danny the damn fountains, not me. My heart thumped wildly against my chest as I responded to his message.
I think a naked Face-time call would be appropriate.I laughed, causing Danny to groan.
“God, Mom. You’re like a teenager.”
“What do you know about teenagers?” I cocked an eyebrow at him as I glanced in the rearview mirror.
“I see them at school when they’re texting their boyfriends.”
“Well… that’s how much you know. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Drake, duh.” His reply was laced with sarcasm.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“You want him to be.” Danny opened the door and slid out. “And I like him better than the doctor. He makes you smile more.”
I sat stunned at the revelation of my soon to be ten-year-old. He was right. Drake made me smile more. My phone vibrated with Drake’s response.
Drake: Jesus Christ Woman. I’m in the middle of an investigation with my dick painfully hard. My partner will not appreciate this.
Sorry. Not sorry.I bit my lip.If you were here, I would help you fix your uncomfortable problem.
Drake: Fuck…
Gotta run. I need to take care of a problem.
Drake: Problem?
I knew his mind had probably dipped into the gutter.An Austin problem.
Drake: What does that guy want?
To apologize or something. I’m going to meet him and make sure he knows I am not interested.I smiled when my phone rang.
“I don’t like it,” Drake growled into the phone. “I know I don’t have any right to stop you. But I don’t trust him.”
“I don’t either. He’s burned me twice now pulling his disappearing act, and that’s not something I am interested in dealing with.”
“It’s not that. Look, I know we’ve only been seeing each other a few weeks, but I’m serious about you and don’t want to share.”
His words made my body flush with excitement. As crazy as it was, I didn’t want to share him either. “I don’t want to share you either. Which is exactly why I need to set Austin straight about things. I can’t have him showing up at my job again.”
